Philani Maswati, Nazarene Church open doors to displaced school
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MLIBA - The torrential rains experienced last month, have forced Phemba Primary School to relocate to Mantshonga, Mliba.
To ensure access to education for over 200 pupils the head teacher had to find an alternative school for the seven classes. The scouting expedition of the head teacher and his team of committee members were granted permission to use Philani Maswati’s Old Age Home at Mantshonga and the local Nazarene Church.
The school was currently conducting classes for the upper grades, Grade VII and Grade VI at the local church of the Nazarene. While all the lower grades were using the Philani Maswati Old Age Home as the base following their forced relocation from their old school, due to the flooding disaster. Eswatini News reported two weeks ago that pupils had been failing to attend classes due to overflooding.
Unfortunately, the relocation has come with strife for some teachers who find it hard to execute their duties at their newly found temporal location, due to the long distance they must travel to get there. The teachers endure a 20-kilometre rigid daily walk, that takes them about four hours to reach their houses that remain on the other side of the Mbuluzi River.
Teachers said while they understand the dire situation left by the torrential rains that destroyed the already dangerous crossing path for pupils, it was taking a toll on them as well.
The teachers said a dilapidated footbridge that was destroyed was connecting the school with the nearby communities beyond the banks of the Mbuluzi River.
Meanwhile, Phemba Primary Head teacher Steven Dlamini said they were grateful to the Philani Maswt Old Age Home and the local church of the Nazarene for coming to their rescue.
Dlamini disclosed that the challenges of the new area were that the current infrastructure was currently unworkable and not conducive to the learning environment.
He said the houses were not user-friendly for imparting knowledge to learners, as there were no desks and other necessities to foster learning.
Dlamini said they were greatly appreciative of the assistance that was forwarded to the school, to have a base after the disaster that befell them